WAFF airs sandalwood theft worries

The Western Australian Farmers Federation (WAFF) says pastoralists have the right to know that the sandalwood on their properties is secure.

The comments come after the Department of Environment and Conservation and police revealed seven people had been charged after a year-long investigation into the illegal sandalwood trade.

Authorities recovered more than $1 million worth of the fragrant wood from New Norcia, Eucla, Kalgoorlie and Menzies.

Federation president Dale Park says the thefts come at a time when pastoralists are trying to diversify their operations.

"We need to make sure that when people like pastoralists actually apply for licences to harvest sandalwood that ... [they are] going to have something there, but they've also got their income and their industry protected," he said.

"If people just go out there cutting sandalwood from everywhere and anywhere, that's going to affect their industry.

"It's important for the people that they're stealing it from and most of this will be coming off pastoral stations and in this day and age, all the pastoralists need alternative streams of income, so it really is as important as someone stealing sheep or cattle from a property."